Celebrating International Forest Day

Posted byRebecca BuddPosted inDavid Rosenthal, International Day of Forrests, Poetry, PoetsTags:, , , , ,

Trees Need Not Walk the Earth

Spring

By David Rosenthal

TREES need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread;
Beauty will come to them
Where they stand.
Here among the children of the sap
Is no pride of ancestry:
A birch may wear no less the morning
Than an oak.
Here are no heirlooms
Save those of loveliness,
In which each tree
Is kingly in its heritage of grace.
Here is but beauty’s wisdom
In which all trees are wise.
Trees need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread;
Beauty will come to them
In the rainbow—
The sunlight—
And the lilac-haunted rain;
And bread will come to them
As beauty came:
In the rainbow—
In the sunlight—
In the rain.

Written in 1919, this poem is in the public domain.

Summer
Autumn
Winter

The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012.

Published by Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

8 thoughts on “Celebrating International Forest Day”

  1. This is a special message to me. I love your video and the poem. I have wonderful memories of trees early in my life. My father had a “shelter belt” put on their land that they purchased in 1936. One of the governments programs to give work for young men was to plant trees on the farms. There were very few trees in the country, a few old trees, long sense mostly dead across the road and the cedars in the cemetery. Most of the farmers just let them grow on their own, but my father kept the weeds from growing among the little seedlings. My mother, Sunbeam and I helped in that job. Lots of work, but great memories.

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  3. What a lovely poem. Two of my favorite phrases are “children of the sap” and “lilac-haunted rain.” Your video, photographs and recitation are like a breath of fresh air soughing through the trees 🙂 Hopefully I can get outside again soon to hear that sound. The wind blowing off our Great Lake is a little too brisk and raw for me to walk out there today…so thank you! I know that soon the sun will shine, trees will bud, and daffodils will show off again.

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    1. I tried to find out more about David Rosenthal – alas, he seems to have disappeared into the folds of history. This was another poem that my sister, Sarah, sent me that came from the public domain. Thank you for publishing your poetry – we need these words now, more than ever. Hugs and Hugs! The daffodils are out and the cherry blossoms have come. It feels good.

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    1. I am so glad that you enjoyed the “trees” I am thinking that the cherry blossoms will soon be in Edinburgh. I have looked back at my photos of our Spring visit to Edinburgh and remembered all the streets that we walked. Photos are the very best – they allow us to go back in time! Thinking of you and always looking forward to seeing a photo from your room with a view. Hugs and love!

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